Tashkent hosted the First Forum of Ombudsmen of the countries of Central Asia.

The event was dedicated to the cooperation of the Central Asian countries’ ombudsmen in ensuring human rights and freedoms.

The forum was organized in cooperation with the Commissioner of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman), the UN and the USAID missions in Uzbekistan, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, as well as the Penal Reform International (PRI).

The main objectives of the event are the development of international cooperation of ombudsmen of Central Asian countries in human rights, the organization of regional discussions on current issues of the sphere, the unification of efforts and opportunities in this direction.

The forum was attended by the Chairman and members of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, deputies of the Legislative Chamber, representatives of judicial and law enforcement agencies, the National Center for Human Rights and several other state organizations, members of the Commission under the Ombudsman, responsible persons of the UN and the USAID missions in Uzbekistan, OSCE Project Co-ordinator, regional program manager of the PRI Representative Office for Central Asia, representatives of UNDP and UNICEF in Uzbekistan, Regional Office for Central Asia of the UN Human Rights Office, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, as well as the ombudsmen of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, representatives of civil society institutions and media workers.

Memorandums of cooperation were signed with national human rights institutions of several foreign countries.

Within the framework of the forum, bilateral memorandums were signed between the ombudsmen of Central Asian countries.

The forum participants exchanged experience on the protection of the rights and interests of women, children, persons with disabilities, the use of digital technologies in this direction, ensuring the rights of persons held in penal institutions.

Following the event, the Tashkent Declaration of the First Forum of Ombudsmen of the countries of Central Asia was adopted.

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Norgul Abduraimova, UzA